From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 471 The King of Bones
Protected by the power of the comet prince Orpheus, the soldiers near the temporary position were able to survive the psychic shrieks of the mainframe.

The mainframe, which was hit head-on by the Dawn Cannon, burst into flames, and its psionic-driven flight became shaky, as if it would fall from the sky at any moment.

The exposed brain tissue became pitted and uneven, with thick pus dripping and flowing everywhere.

This mucus is the mastermind's protective mechanism, used to extinguish the flames on its surface and prevent further damage.

Compared to its eerie power when it first appeared, the mainframe now looks particularly wretched, like a rotten walnut kernel scorched by a raging fire, with pus flowing freely and charred scars, making it impossible to look directly at it.

Although the mainframe looked utterly wretched, Ivy knew very well that the previous attack had not caused any serious damage. The Dawn Cannon Ray, deflected by the psionic barrier, had lost the possibility of completely penetrating the mainframe, leaving only some scratches on its surface.

The mainframe hadn't anticipated that the Dawn Cannon could be fired continuously, and Ivy hadn't expected that the mainframe would be able to adapt and use the psionic barrier to avoid most of the damage.

However, all the problems on the battlefield can be attributed to insufficient firepower.

Since two shots aren't enough, let's fire two more.

After being modified by Ivy, the Dawn Cannon, which uses Losanda's divine blood as its energy source, can naturally be fired four times. This is because there are only four drops of divine blood in the amber that stores the blood.

However, Ivy wasn't planning on engaging in a dull clapping game with the mastermind; it was time to make some changes to the Dawn Cannon.

After two Dawn Cannon shots, the Shadow Destroyer was almost embedded in the ground. Ivy waved her hand and threw out a series of runes to guide the power of the earth element. With the blessing of [Elemental Invocation], the soil that had been plowed by the adamantite tentacles quickly hardened and solidified, turning back into blocks of stone, thus fixing the adamantite golem back to the ground.

Ivy placed her hand on the surface of the Shadow Destroyer's core, unleashing a series of intricate runic patterns.

This is a software interface left over from the creation of the Shadow Eraser, used to add or remove parts of the mental model that need to be modified at any time.

However, Ivy is now preparing to integrate it into her own magical abilities, using cooperative supermagic to help the Shadow Destroyer complete the shaping of the Dawn Cannon.

Ivy had only done some rudimentary research on the techniques of cooperative super magic.

In his vision, cooperative supermagic should be a technique that allows two or more spellcasters to work together to complete a supermagic spell. In addition to the spellcaster who casts the main spell, the other cooperative supermagic spellcasters will use their own supermagic skills to add new supermagic buffs to the main spell in turn.

Cooperative supermagic allows ordinary spellcasters to perform supermagic spells they cannot control, but the prerequisites are very demanding. It requires the spellcasters performing cooperative supermagic to trust each other completely and cooperate seamlessly.

Ivy's solution was to provide a mental link through a third party or a magical item, which would greatly reduce the difficulty of cooperative super magic.

Ever since completing the ritual spell to create the magic vortex with the deans in Stryhaven, Ivy has begun related research. It was precisely because of that experience of casting the spell via mind link that Ivy came up with a preliminary solution for cooperative super magic.

However, Ivy didn't need to consider mental links with his own construct creations. He personally crafted the mind model of the Shadow Destroyer, meaning he knew exactly how deep the grooves in that iron lump's brain were, making cooperative supermagic a natural outcome.

The surging elemental forces then manifested around Ivy, forming various elemental phenomena: sandstorms and tornadoes that swept across the heavens and earth, volcanic eruptions that caused earthquakes, and terrifying blizzards that engulfed everything...

The magical power that warlocks rely on for their supernatural spells originates from their magical origins.

As a [Supreme Sorcerer], Ivy's magic originates from the dazzling magical wonders formed by elemental power. Therefore, when he uses spell points, it is always accompanied by similar elemental phenomena. However, when the scale of his spell power is small, these elemental phenomena often dissipate as soon as they form.

Collaborating with the Shadowbreakers on hypermagic attacks was something Ivy had never done before. He planned to apply the hypermagic effects of [Maximum Spell], [Greater Spell], and [Shaping Spell] to the next Dawn Cannon.

Simultaneously with Ivy unleashing her magical power, the Shadow Destroyer drew upon Losanda's divine power from the Divine Blood Amber.

With the blessing of super magic power, the light emitted by the Dawn Cannon Crystal was much stronger than the previous two times, as if a golden sun had been created on the ground.

The Mind Flayer's main brain, which was floating crookedly in the distant sky, had obviously noticed the commotion on the ground and began a series of dazzling evasive maneuvers, dragging the brain tissue in its hand.

God knows how a brain can make a serpentine movement.

As the Dawn Cannon charged, the universal joint used to adjust the angle also rapidly changed direction, always keeping the cannon muzzle pointed at the Mind Flayer's main brain in the distance.

From the perspective of preserving its own fighting strength, the optimal solution for the Mind Flayer mastermind would undoubtedly be to leave the battlefield directly and find a place to recuperate. However, from the mastermind's perspective, the voters who possess the two Netherstones would not agree. If the Netherstones stolen from Katheric could not be recovered, and once the Mind Flayer mastermind completely broke free of its control, the voters' fate would likely not be good.

Therefore, restrained by the two Netherstones, the Mind Flayer's main brain, whose form was elusive, never strayed too far from the battlefield. It was also waiting, waiting for the army to complete its assembly, launch an attack on the enemy, interfere with the firing of the Dawn Cannon, or kill all the humans hiding in Reisven.

After circling for a while, the mainframe realized that the Dawn Cannon's charging level had stopped increasing. There was only one reason why it hadn't been activated: Ivy's cooperative super magic hadn't been completed yet.

When warlocks cast supermagic spells, they usually need to complete the entire turn, extending the casting time of a spell to six seconds. Ivy's feat, [High-Speed ​​Supermagic], can reduce this time to the normal casting time.

However, when performing a cooperative super magic spell, since the main target is not the spell you cast, [High-Speed ​​Super Magic] cannot take effect, and the preparation time for Super Magic Dawn Cannon is greatly extended.

The main brain, whose main body is almost entirely composed of gray matter, immediately analyzed the situation accurately and then quickly made a decision, proactively lowering its altitude. Tentacles, resembling spinal cord nerves, began to rapidly wave in the military camp below.

The touched Supreme God cultists were teleported away from the main force and airdropped to the vicinity of the Shadow Destroyers, as the mastermind hoped to reduce its own pressure in this way.

At the same time, the spiritual energy rapidly gathered again, setting up layer upon layer of spiritual energy barriers around the main body.

The mainframe's ability to survive the Dawn Cannon's attacks twice was largely due to its massive psionic power. Having developed a path dependency, the mainframe is preparing to repeat its old trick, once again using the psionic barrier to counter the Dawn Cannon's might.

"Don't let these cultists interfere with DOOM!" Minsara brandished his longsword, imbued with the power of an oath, cleaving a cultist wielding a dagger in two, while simultaneously shouting commands to the soldiers who were in disarray around him.

Large numbers of undead warriors rose from the bushes on both sides of the road and quickly joined the battle.

Rasven has been shrouded in Shar's Shadow Curse for a hundred years, and countless innocent people have fallen in obscurity. Melkor's Death Acolytes could easily raise a large army here.

“Katheric!” Eileen exclaimed in shock and anger; she hadn’t expected to see her old adversary again.

Melkor's general was in very bad condition. His armor was on the verge of being destroyed, with the steel bones and sharp teeth twisted and crooked, and the armor plates covering his body falling apart.

Even worse than the armor's appearance was Ketherrick himself.

The first Dawn Cannon fired by the Shadowbreaker dealt most of its power to Katheric. Since he had run out of Netherstones, he couldn't join the other two Chosen Ones in controlling the Mastermind. And as he prepared to leave the Mindflayer colony for the military camp, he was also quite a distance from the Mastermind.

Therefore, when the mainframe used the psionic barrier to defend against the divine power of the Dawn Cannon, it intentionally or unintentionally left him out.

If it weren't for the fact that the Bone King Melkor wasn't prepared to abandon his chosen people, the general would probably have already turned into ashes by now.

Although Melkor did not abandon Katheric, the Dawn of Losanda is not so easy to take over, as can be seen from Katheric's case alone.

Now he is missing an arm, his left leg has disappeared below the knee, and his neck is twisted at an abnormal angle. The only thing that allows Katheric to stand on the ground is the giant scythe in his hand.

“Eileen…and these foolish mortals…” Katheric’s voice was hollow and hoarse, completely devoid of the majesty he once held as a lord, “You cannot kill me…My lord is Melkor, the King of Bones…Under His protection…I am immortal!”

“My lord…” A silver spark erupted from the shattered breastplate of Katheric, the power of Serene channeled by Irene. The battered general was oblivious, as if reaching this place was his final mission. “I am ready. I am here…”

A ghastly green flame suddenly erupted from Katheric's backward-falling body, and the skeletons fighting the adventurers were also blown into pieces of bone, becoming fuel to fuel the fire. The leaping flames did not emit any heat, but only brought boundless cold.

"How dare you!" A deep rumble echoed through Reisven City, striking the adventurers' hearts like a heavy hammer. "How dare you kill my men?"

Mingsara held her sword in both hands, using her body as a shield to protect Ivy behind her. Standing beside her was Shadowheart, who held aloft her adamantite shield. The two people equipped with adamantite stood together without prior arrangement.

Katheric's body had vanished in the ghastly green flames, but the demonic fire, now devoid of its host, did not diminish; instead, it spewed out plumes of choking smoke.

"I am the smile of a pale skull, I am the regret of a broken body, I am the turmoil of countless departed souls."

Thick smoke swept across the ground, and the newly sprouted grass withered and turned into inch by inch of decaying ashes.

“I am the ghost that coils in the tomb, I am the god of graves and time, the lord of dust and twilight.”

A gigantic skeletal arm, taller than a normal adult, emerged from the flames and pressed down on Resven's battered body. A shockwave swept up dust, momentarily obscuring the golden light emanating from the Dawn Cannon crystal.

"I am Melkor, the King of Bones, the God of the Dead! And you have killed my chosen ones!"

The second arm picked up the giant bone scythe that Katheric had dropped from the ground, supporting the even larger and more magnificent skeletal body through the portal formed by the ghastly green flames and thick smoke.

Next appeared a skull wearing a triangular crown, from which a shroud concealed the hollow ribs. Shoulder armor, as black as death, was supported by two arms, upon which sat two other life-sized skulls. These were perhaps Melkor's favorite death priests; one carried an incense burner, the other aloft scales, already one with Melkor's avatar.

Melkor's skeletal form has no leg bones; its body is sustained entirely by the green flames burning from Katheric's corpse.

The giant bone scythe, infused with the divine power of Melkor, grew larger as it was enveloped in flames, its already ferocious and terrifying appearance gaining an even more eerie aura.

The crowned Melkor avatar, with its jaw agape, spoke a voice that resonated deep within everyone's heart: "Somme is dead... So what? I am death, and death is not the end—it is the beginning."

"This is fucking bastard!" Karak groaned or cursed, "It's Melkor!"

Gale quickly recited a spell, and crackling lightning shot from his fingers, exploding continuously above the head of Melkor's avatar. Many bone fragments crumbled and fell, but the Bone King's body did not tremble in the slightest.

Undead creatures are not the type that Gale is good at dealing with. His illusion magic is ineffective against these mindless creatures, and even if it were effective, it would be difficult to affect an avatar of a demigod.

Everyone on the battlefield saw the target of Melkor's avatar—Ivy, who was channeling magical power to enhance the Dawn Cannon.

But Melkor's avatar was not there to rescue the Mind Flayer's mastermind, but rather for the Netherstone in Ivy's possession.

"Worm!" The ferocious bone scythe slashed in a deadly arc, meeting Asmo's descent head-on and cleaving him away. The blood of the noble divine descendant splattered on the ground, instantly turning into a pool of blazing silver flames.

Holding their ground would only drag Ivy into the battle. Mingsara and Yingxin exchanged a glance and immediately raised their weapons to meet the divine incarnation.

The swirling demonic flames erupted once more, blasting away all the reinforcements on both sides. The obstacle between Ivy and the avatar of Melkor was no longer there!

The towering skeleton held a menacing bone scythe in both hands, determined to sever the blasphemer's head in a single blow.

How could Ivy possibly grant its wish?

The Dawn Cannon, which had long been fully charged, was fired at this moment, scattering golden light that was even stronger than the midday sun in all directions.

Losanda's divine power shone brightly, stirring up plumes of black smoke on Melkor's avatar.

The Bone King roared and swung his bone scythe with all his might, but it only produced a metallic clang.

The weapon that clashed and resonated with the ferocious bone scythe was the adamantite weapon that the Shadow Destroyer had previously separated from its body.

(End of this chapter)